From Harbour to Parlour: Shipping Container Homes

By Diane Small

Billions are spent on mining iron ore and bauxite to create construction materials. The earth is harmed, carbon emissions rise, and all for naught, when you consider that homes can be built on pre-existing materials.

Take this stunning house, which was created from foundations of mainly upcycled shipping containers.

While the idea sounds very ‘crunchy’ and a bit quirky, the result is nothing less than stunning sophistication. Designed by the Arcgency architecture firm, this house in China rests on three shipping containers, which can be found at most seaside ports in big cities around the world.

Some argue that the containers can be recycled, but upcycling takes far less energy.

We’d like to think that with a little imagination, many industrial materials can enjoy a second life as the foundations for a larger project, like this shipping container home.